The invention relates to a process for the checking of cigarettes for the correct formation of these at their ends by means of electrooptical sensors which possess transmitters and receivers and by means of which a test beam (light beam) is directed onto at least one end (end face) of the cigarettes and reflected light is measured. The invention relates, furthermore, to an apparatus for the checking of cigarettes.
Cigarettes are tested in conjunction with the packaging of these; for this, the cigarettes are checked for a correct sufficient tobacco content by electrooptical sensors.
The testing of cigarettes by electrooptical sensors is basically known. The processes adopted hitherto work either on the transmitted-light principle or on the reflection principle. The transmitted-light principle requires high-performance sensors which also have to be sensitive enough to react even to only slight differences in brightness. The reflection process can be used for the checking of cigarettes sometimes only at a high outlay. Because of the unfavourable reflecting properties of tobacco, test methods based on the reflecting properties of the tobacco can also only be employed in conjunction with high-performance sensors.